Le Yoga Prend le Maquis
Translated from an article published in the ICN Informateur Corse Nouvelle on the 30th of March 2018
With a constant growth of about 7% per year in France, the wellness industry is doing very well. With its wild untouched nature, Corsica is attracting more and more visitors each year, in pursuit of peace and spending more time off the beaten track.
Originally from Cape Town, but now based in the South of Corsica, Lara Boshoff the creator of Destination Namaste, offers retreats, lasting several days, offering yoga as the guiding thread but not only that… Far away from the peak summer frenzy, Destination Namaste would like you to also discover Corsica during the more authentic and calmer lower seasons. Lara Boshoff had something unique in mind when she created Destination Namaste being the first agency of its kind in Corsica, specialising in wellness retreats and events. « We offer heart-crafted immersive, or tailor made, retreats and events for private clients and companies. »
This is a way to shine some light on Corsica from a different angle, inspired by alternative concepts and therapies from other countries. With more than 10 years experience in the luxury tourism industry, Lara travelled back and forth across the globe looking for qualified teachers, therapists and healers from Mexico to India, Florida and Bali.
This year Destination Namaste offers exclusive retreats in English and French in collaboration with local and/or foreign facilitators from Berlin to Bali. « Each retreat has its own unique spirit. Included in these therapies are different themes from sound meditation, dynamic activities for the sporty at heart, kayaking,, stand-up paddle Yoga, sailing, workshops, art, writing, philosophy, tantra, yoga and voice activation techniques. » Other activities depending on the retreat, could also include hiking, nature walks, discovering local flora, yoga in the vineyards, and visiting local producers to learn more about the their products and expertise. Their upcoming retreats will take place in private villas, where facilitators and participants will live together for a period of 5 days.
« The lower season is the perfect time to experience the different aspects of Corsica. The Island is calmer and everybody starts feeling more relaxed, after the very busy season, and able to give non-rushed quality time to visitors. We have lots of enquiries from England, Sweden and The United States, ranging in age from 25 to 65, people looking to really discover Corsica with all its uniqueness. »
Destination Namaste encourages more responsible and ecological ways of travelling by being respectful to the Island’s natural resources. Lara’s country of birth was recently struck by the consequences of climate change. The terrible drought of the past few months obliged the locals to find new ways to consume and live. « We try to take this into consideration in the way we organise our retreats. We take care of the transport of the participants by carpooling for outings to avoid that every participant comes with his or her own vehicle. For meals we try to use organic and local produce as much as possible; such as sourcing local olive oil, honey, herbal teas, fruit and vegetables, essential oils…and above of all, to use as little plastic as possible and plastic water bottles.»
A percentage of each retreat sold, will be donated to Corsican environmental projects which was developed by the company Avvena, supporting projects around biodiversity, sustainable agriculture, the reduction of CO2, conservation and more. » Still a niche market for Corsica, this is offering a new perspective for tourism in all seasons.
Article by Chloe Nury
Upcoming Yoga Retreats in Corsica
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